563 



Abstract— We examined the summer 

 distribution of marine mammals 

 off the northern Washington coast 

 based on six ship transect surveys 

 conducted between 1995 and 2002, 

 primarily from the NOAA ship 

 McArthur. Additionally, small boat 

 surveys were conducted in the same 

 region between 1989 and 2002 to 

 gather photographic identification 

 data on humpback whales iMegap- 

 tera novaeangliae) and killer whales 

 (Orcinus orca) to examine movements 

 and population structure. In the six 

 years of ship survey effort. 706 sight- 

 ings of 15 marine mammal species 

 were made. Humpback whales were 

 the most common large cetacean spe- 

 cies and were seen every year and a 

 total of 232 sightings of 402 animals 

 were recorded during ship surveys. 

 Highest numbers were observed in 

 2002, when there were 79 sightings of 

 139 whales. Line-transect estimates 

 for humpback whales indicated that 

 about 100 humpback whales inhab- 

 ited these waters each year between 

 1995 and 2000; in 2002, however, the 

 estimate was 562 (CV=0.21) whales. 

 A total of 191 unique individuals were 

 identified photographically and mark- 

 recapture estimates also indicated 

 that the number of animals increased 

 from under 100 to over 200 from 1995 

 to 2002. There was only limited inter- 

 change of humpback whales between 

 this area and feeding areas off Oregon 

 and California. Killer whales were 

 also seen on every ship survey and 

 represented all known ecotypes of the 

 Pacific Northwest, including southern 

 and northern residents, transients, 

 and offshore-type killer whales. Dall's 

 porpoise iPhocoenoides dalli) were the 

 most frequently sighted small ceta- 

 cean; abundance was estimated at 

 181-291 individuals, except for 2002 

 when we observed dramatically higher 

 numbers (876, CV=0.30i. Northern 

 fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) and 

 elephant seals iMirounga angustiros- 

 tris) were the most common pinnipeds 

 observed. There were clear habitat 

 differences related to distance off- 

 shore and water depth for different 

 species. 



Manuscript submitted 25 September 2003 

 to the Scientific Editor's Office. 



Manuscript approved for publication 

 4 June 2004 by the Scientific Editor. 



Fish. Bull. 102:563-580 i2004). 



Distribution and abundance of humpback whales 



(Megoptera novaeangliae) 



and other marine mammals 



off the northern Washington coast 



John Calambokidis 



Gretchen H. Steiger 



David K. Ellifrit 



Cascadia Research Collective 



Waterstreet Building 



218V2 West Fourth Ave. 



Olympia, Washington 98501 



E-mail address (for J Calambokidis) calambokidis@cascadiaresearch.org 



Barry L. Troutman 



Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife 



600 Capitol Way 



Olympia, Washington 98501 



C. Edward Bowlby 



Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA 

 115 Railroad Ave E, Suite 301 

 Port Angeles, Washington 98362 



Marine mammals have had an impor- 

 tant role in the history of the Olympic 

 Peninsula for centuries. Many species, 

 including sea otters ( En hydra lutris). 

 harbor seals iPhoca vitulina), hump- 

 back whales (Megaptera novaean- 

 gliae), and gray whales iEschrichtius 

 robustus) were hunted by the Makah 

 tribe (Swan, 1868; Huelsbeck, 1988). 

 Much later, modern whalers targeted 

 humpback whales in this region from 

 stations at Bay City, Washington 

 (1911-25, Scheffer and Slipp, 1948). 

 and southern Vancouver Island, Brit- 

 ish Columbia (1905-43, Gregr et al., 

 2000). A small aboriginal hunt for 

 gray whales resumed in these waters 

 in 1998, and the Makah killed one 

 gray whale in May 1999. Since the 

 end of commercial whaling, marine 

 mammals have been afforded protec- 

 tion under the Marine Mammal Pro- 

 tection Act of 1972. In addition, the 

 waters off the northern Washington 

 coast were designated as the Olympic 

 Coast National Marine Sanctuary in 

 1994. 



A number of studies have docu- 

 mented marine mammals in this re- 

 gion. Some surveys of broader areas 

 have included the waters off north- 

 ern Washington (Von Saunder and 

 Barlow, 1999; Brueggeman 1 ; Green 

 et al. 2 ). Species-specific studies also 



1 Brueggeman, J. J. 1992. Oregon and 

 Washington marine mammal and sea- 

 bird surveys. Final report of OCS 

 Study MMS" 91-0093 by Ebasco Envi- 

 ronmental, Bellevue, Washington, and 

 Ecological Consulting, Inc., Portland. 

 Oregon, for the Minerals Management 

 Service (MMS), 445 p. MMS, Pacific 

 OCS Region, U.S. Dept. of Interior. 

 770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo. CA 

 93010. 



2 Green, G. A., M. A. Smultea, C. E. Bowlby. 

 and R. A. Rowlett. 1993. Delphinid 

 aerial surveys in Oregon and Washing- 

 ton offshore waters. Final report for 

 contract 50ABNF200058 to the National 

 Marine Mammal Laboratory, National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, 100 p. Nat. 

 Mar. Mamm. Lab., NMFS, 7600 Sand 

 Point Way NE F/AKC3, Seattle, WA 

 98115.1 



